Fractions
Callers constantly specify how far: Circle Left 3/4, Square Thru 2, Half Tag. The fractions are not vague — each has a defined meaning, and each has a timing.
The fractions
| Fraction | Means |
|---|---|
| 1/4 | a quarter turn, or a quarter of the way round |
| 1/2 | half |
| 3/4 | three quarters |
| Full | all the way round |
| 1 1/2, 2 1/2 | once and a half, twice and a half — met in Square Thru and in circulates |
The manual is explicit in one place that matters: for Single Circle, "the amount to move is specified as a fraction of a full circle (there is no default)". So "Single Circle" alone is not a complete command — you need the fraction.
Fractions are of different things
This is the thing beginners find hardest, and it is not their fault: a fraction is always a fraction of something specific to that call.
| Call | The fraction is of… |
|---|---|
| Circle Left 1/4 | the circle |
| Single Circle 1/2 | the circle of two |
| Turn Partner by the Right 1/2 | the arm turn |
| Square Thru 2 | the four hands of the square thru |
| Tag the Line 3/4 | the tag |
| Sweep a Quarter | a quarter circle, continuing the previous motion |
You do not have to work this out from first principles while dancing. The call page for each call says what its fractions mean.
Timing of fractions
Fractions have their own timings, and larger fractions are usually less than proportionally longer — a half turn does not cost exactly twice a quarter turn, because you are already moving.
The manual's Circle Family gives a clear example:
| Circle Left | Beats |
|---|---|
| 1/4 | 4 |
| 1/2 | 8 |
| 3/4 | 12 |
| Full | 16 |
And the four-dancer circle, which is smaller and therefore quicker:
| Circle Four Left | Beats |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | 4 |
| 3/4 | 6 |
| Full | 8 |
Notice that the full four-dancer circle costs half of what the eight-dancer full circle costs. That difference is the whole reason the manual states timings call by call.
"And a quarter more"
A common suffix — "Right and Left Thru and a quarter more" — means: dance the call, then turn an additional quarter in the flow of the call. It is a way of arriving in a different facing without a second call.
Next
- how fractions are applied to a turn → Directions
- the fractions in a specific family → Circle Family